27712: anonymous (comment) Re: 27693: Durban (query): to Holmstead (ref 27671) (fwd)

[Bob Corbett <corbetre@webster.edu>]

It's unlikely that Aristide would wish to go back to Haiti any time soon
as he would have to pay privately for his own security - the Steele
Foundation is not cheap (and he does not trust his own people).

Preval has already stated (correctly) that he cannot prevent
Aristide, a Haitian citizen, from coming back to his country if
he so choses. (This is analoguous to western countries saying that
they cannot prevent a newspaper from printing cartoons because
their constitution allows freedom of the press.)

To start putting pressure on Preval regarding whether or not
he should allow Aristide to come back is to undermine his position
even before he's been officially elected. I don't think anyone believes
that Preval is going to invite Aristide. This whole issue is being raised
at this point to embarrass and weaken him from the start.